LC-MS determination of desmopressin acetate in human skin samples.

A sensitive, selective and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) assay for the determination of desmopressin acetate (1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin, DDAVP) from human skin samples was developed and validated. Pieces of human breast skin were impregnated with DDAVP solutions and DDAVP was extracted with an optimum extraction procedure. The extracted solutions were then analyzed by a LC system, comprising of a Nucleosil C18 column (CC 125/2, 120-3) and a mobile phase of 0.01% formic acid in a mixture of 1.6 mM ammonium acetate and acetonitrile (33:67, v/v), coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Satisfactory results were obtained with limits of detection and quantification as low as 10 and 40 ng/ml, respectively, and with very good intra- and inter-day repeatability. Copyright 2004 Elsevier B.V.